REVENGE OF THE SITH

Interlude #1

The galaxy sky was quiet, despite the short battle that had been engaged only a few hours ago. A former Republic class interdictor ship had captured an elusive freighter turned smuggling ship and the crew aboard.

After a battle within the ship, the crew of the smuggling ship were able to escape and fly away, while fighters chased them. They were easily shot down and the smaller ship was able to jump into hyper space.

The Ebon Hawk had a reputation as the fastest ship in the galaxy and it had certainly saved some of the crews that had been aboard it at one time or another. This was no different.

However, instead of the joyous laughter and partying that accompanied an escape like that, the mood onboard was anything but happy. While they had literally escaped by the seat of their pants, they had inadvertently left one of their own aboard the villain cruiser.

But it was the information that had been revealed on the interdictor – the Leviathan – that caused the most stress and the most shocking revelation the crew had truly ever known.

It certainly was for one Carth Onasi. The Republic pilot had been quiet from the time he and one of his companions – Jayden Korr – had escaped the Leviathan and he had since dropped back into this mood after his talk with the smuggler turned Republic hero.

The Republic pilot sat within the captain’s chair of the Ebon Hawk, staring haphazardly into the night sky. His body told him he was getting tired, but he just couldn’t make himself go to bed. He had set their course to the water planet of Manaan after his talk with Jayden – no, no Revan – and he had been staring morosely out of the cockpit since.

The events of the Leviathan still played across his mind. The ship been waiting for them as they leapt out of hyper space after their adventures on Korriban. They had come up with a plan to have Juhani rescue them once she got past the guards.

Then he, Jayden, and Bastila Shan had been separated from the rest of the group and had waited for Adm. Saul Karath to arrive. Carth and Saul were no strangers to each other; Saul had been like a second father to him when he was still actively serving in the Republic Forces. He was a mentor to him, taught him how to be a soldier.

And then he had done the ultimate back stabbing thing anyone could ever do.

Carth couldn’t believe Saul had turned on them once Revan and Malak had come back as Sith Lords, but he knew. He knew when he woke up in his barracks and heard the alarms going off on Telos.

They had been breached and only one man knew the codes and he was leading an army of Sith into Telos space. But it was all over clouded when Carth had found his wife, nearly hidden underneath the rubble of their home. He had dug for what seemed like hours until he had her in his arms.

Maybe he knew she couldn’t be saved, but it didn’t stop him from screaming at the top of his lungs for the medics. “Hold on, baby.” he had whispered, repeatedly. “Just hold on for a little bit longer.”

Maybe she knew she didn’t have long, because she had said she loved him and would always love him, despite the problems they were going through. And then she just closed her eyes and didn’t wake up.

From that day on, Carth Onasi had declared his vengeance on Saul Karath. He would kill the space dog for what he had done.

And it seemed he would get his chance. He held no punches when he told the crew of the Hawk that no one would want to get in his way when he met Saul. Even when Bastila had told him not to give into his anger, he ignored her.

He would have his revenge and nothing would stop him. Nothing. Even when the sick bastard had tortured them; that was just the icing. He’d pay for that too.

Looking back, he couldn’t understand at the time why Saul seemed so intent on taking his frustration out on Jayden. The young man had been made to watch as Bastila was repeatedly tortured, all because he refused to answer any questions from the Admiral.

He had been so determined before that. And then, even after Jayden had succumbed to sleep due to the torture, the guards continued shooting electrical currents through his body, ignoring the screams from both he and Bastila.

And then the moment of truth…Juhani had come through and he could finally get the revenge he had waited so long for. They wasted no time in killing and butchering Sith commandos and officers until they had reached the bridge. Jayden and Bastila had used their lightsabers and Force powers to ultimately clear a path for him to Saul.

Wearing a Mandalorian shield, the energy blasts from Saul’s blaster had relatively no effect on him. Carth quickly went to work on the admiral, using the Kath double blade Jayden had given him to completely break the admiral until he was barely alive on the floor.

Even as the Jedi behind him tried to talk him out it, Carth was already thinking of ways to finish off the man he had looked up to. Even as Jay tried to tell him not to give in to his hate, Carth could see the anger in the young man’s eyes.

He wanted Carth gut the man, the pilot could see it, but his blasted Jedi training stopped him from actually saying anything. So Carth finally settled on watching this man – this man who had taken everything from him – slowly die. And then he began to call for him.

“Carth…” Saul wouldn’t last much longer, but he apparently needed to say something, despite the fact he was coughing up his own blood. “… must tell you… must tell you something… come closer….”

Carth had seen the look in the dying man’s eyes and had actually thought Saul was calling him over to say he was sorry; sorry for what he had done to the man’s family, to his life, to…to actually want to be forgiven for the pain he had brought his favorite student. The pilot went over to him, convinced he had seen a glimpse of his former mentor, father figure, and friend.

Only to be terribly disappointed.

He whispered something into Carth’s ear, something that turned Carth’s blood cold; “You didn’t know, did you?” the admiral chuckled, the smug bastard actually laughed at the look of horror on his former pupil’s face. He actually found the piece of information he just gave to be hilarious.

“Remember my dying words.”, he sputtered. “Remember them whenever… whenever you look at those you thought were your friends!”

That had been the beginning of this whole nightmare. And to top it off, the subject of conversation didn’t even have a clue what was going on. He didn’t know. He didn’t even fragging know who he truly was. It wasn’t until they ran into Malak on the way out that the current dark lord informed Jayden that he was his former master.

Jayden Korr was in reality Revan, the former Jedi who had helped the Republic beat the Mandalorians and had then turned his loyalties to the Sith, taking Malak and half the Republic military with him.

And Bastila and the Jedi Council had known the entire time. Known who he was and hadn’t said a damn word about it.

Then the former dark lord began to argue with his fellow Jedi; had actually said she was no better than the Sith herself with her secrets and lies. Then Carth was in stasis and he could watch as Jayden – Revan – had gone after his apprentice through the corridors.

And then Bastila was there, saving the young man from Malak’s final blow, and then they were behind a door, with no way to save Bastila from the Sith Lord. Carth had to practically drag the young man to the Hawk.

And there, the secret was let out. Jayden was Revan and not only had Bastila known about it, but apparently Jolee Bindo – former Jedi, current cantankerous old man – knew as well. And to add insult to injury, everyone onboard wasn’t at all phased by it.

This man had lead the Sith to raze worlds and systems; had killed people; had destroyed families; and they were all nonchalant about it. Well, not Carth. He wasn’t about to let this man betray him like he had done the Republic and the Jedi. He’d send the young man to hell before that would ever happen and he had told him that too.

They were on a mission and the pilot would finish the mission, but as far as he was concerned, he never wanted to see Jayden Korr or Revan ever again.

However somewhere between the escape and drifting out in space had caused a slight change of heart for the pilot. He and Jay were close, had been since their escape from the Endar Spire and throughout their journey. They had sat in the cockpit talking about their lives and certainly about Jayden’s interest in one Jedi princess.

Thinking about that, and the fact the man seemed to have withered in the face of this whole ordeal, had caused the Republic officer to consider things from Jayden’s view.

He had thought he was a smuggler who had been recruited by the Republic for his crimes. He then gets shot down by the Sith only a few days after being quickly added at the last moment to the Spire.

Then he learns he could wield the Force and is whisked away to the Jedi Academy on Dantooine. Months of jaunting across the galaxy for these Star Maps, while evading the Sith…and now to discover he is in fact the man who caused the trouble in the first place and that the woman he had fallen in love with has been hiding it from him this entire time…

Carth had been surprised when Jay – Revan – had approached him to talk. After thinking about it, Carth realized he didn’t fill as fulfilled as he thought he would once Saul was dead. Instead, he felt…hollow, he guessed.

Saul’s death didn’t bring back his wife; it didn’t return his son; it didn’t make him feel as happy as he thought. He said as much to…Revan…that the young man had shown he wasn’t the same man as before and that he had something larger about him.

“Whatever’s happened up until this point,” the pilot replied. “There’s going to come a time very soon where you’re going to have to make a choice. And there won’t be any turning back.”

Carth was surprised when the young man looked down to the floor, obvious turmoil written on his face. “And if I make the wrong choice?” he asked, the question barely a whisper.

“Then I hope I can save you. From yourself.”

That had been about two hours ago and no one had seen the smuggler turned Jedi in that time. “As much as I enjoy looking out the window of a cockpit, I would think one would want to pilot the ship instead of admiring the stars.”

Carth smirked and looked up at the elderly man that hovered over his shoulder. Jolee Bindo had joined them when they had entered into the Kashyyyk Shadowlands. “I’m not admiring, old man,” he said, good-naturedly.

“You look dead on your feet, sonny,” Jolee said, leaning against the side divider. “And I see your companion is already fast asleep.” The two looked over at the co-pilot’s chair to see a sleeping blue Twi’lek curled in the seat.

Mission Vao had joined the pilot in the cockpit, thinking he needed to talk. He did his best not to yell at her for sitting in Bastila’s chair, but all that did was remind him not only was she not there, but that she had been the one who has started this in the first place.

“You might want to check on our young friend.” he said. “Believe me, I know the loss of a loved one. As I know you do, as well.”

“Bastila’s not lost.” Carth replied. He waited for Jolee to say something, but he got no response. He turned and headed out the door, down the corridor. He stopped when he reached the main hold, noticing Zaalbar carving something with a piece of metal; Juhani sat meditating within her chambers.

T3 whirled past him, checking the ship’s condition. He headed off towards the port dormitories, not hearing anything. He stopped halfway before turning and heading for the garage.

This was probably a serious matter and would need to be executed with precision and a bit of an inhibitor.

He didn’t know how much time had passed, but he knew they weren’t close to their destination of Manaan. He didn’t want to be here anymore, didn’t want to be on this damn, fragging quest for those fragging bastards on Dantooine. He heard the voices that had passed by, that had dared to enter his sanctuary, asking if he was okay.

Hell no, he wasn’t okay!

He just learned he was the dark lord of the Sith not more than 2 years ago! That the woman he was steadily falling for had been behind this whole…deception and that the Jedi Council had basically sent them on a mission through his apparent scattered memories. And now, that woman – who he loved and who had betrayed him, them – was in the clutches of their enemy. No, he definitely was not fine nor was he okay.

He had been sitting within the port dorms since his talk with Carth. He had been so afraid of letting his crew know the truth they had learned, but he wouldn’t be a friend if he kept this to himself. He told them and was quite surprised at their willingness to stand by him.

Well, everyone except Carth, though he had expected that. After all, he had killed his wife and lost his son and despite Canderous coming to his aid, Jayden still felt responsible. He was the reason Malak went over, right? And all those Republic officers, right?

He now sat on the floor, knees to his chest, and his arms around them, his face buried within. He just wanted to be left alone. In fact, he thought maybe he should do this quest alone and then he’d return Bastila to her precious council and he would take the Hawk and leave Republic space…

The sound of footsteps alerted him that someone was going to try and talk him out of his mood. He made a mental bet as to who it was and he had his money on Juhani.

He was surprised when it wasn’t.

It had taken Carth some kind words and 100 credits to get the two bottles of Mandalorian whiskey from Canderous. The pilot begrudgingly admitted that the Mandalorian wasn’t too bad of a guy and he had instantly known why Carth wanted two bottles.

He handed them over, from his ‘secret stash’, warning the pilot to be careful as they packed quite a punch. Carth had just smirked, bragging that he could handle his liquor. He was on his way out, when the former bounty hunter had stopped him with a hand on his arm.

“This isn’t the time for accusing, Carth. I’ll admit learning what he has is quite a shock to the system, but I think he’s taking it harder than he should.”

The pilot had shaken his head. “I’m not going to accuse.” he said. “We’re…we’re over that, past it. I just…I can’t begin to imagine what’s going on in his head right now.”

“I imagine it has a great deal to do with a certain Jedi princess who’s in the clutches of that space dog Malak.” the bounty hunter had laughed. “I remember how much of a terror Revan was on the battlefield. Malak had better hope we find Bastila alive and unharmed or he will regret what he’s done.”

He shuddered when he thought about that, knowing what the bounty hunter said was true. If Malak had done anything to Bastila, anything at all…He had shaken it off and headed to the port dorms, which is where he stood now.

The young man that sat didn’t note his presence for a time and Carth wondered if he had fallen asleep in his position on the floor when he heard, “Go away, Carth.”

Taking that as his cue to enter, he did, closing and locking the door before walking over to the young man. “Figured you needed a drink.” he said, tapping his shoulder with one of the bottles. Jay – Revan! – looked up and Carth was shocked and slightly concerned at his features.

It was obviously he had cried within that time frame, his eyes red and glazed for the burden that he carried. He also must’ve skipped out on any sleep because he also tired and drawn.

“Canderous’ hidden stash.” the pilot replied, watching the man. “You’d better take it. It cost me fifty creds.” He tried making the last comment as a joke, but his chuckle soon died within second of delivering it. The young man hesitated before taking the offered bottle and cradling it in his hands.

Carth sat down next to him, unsure of what to say, what to do. He had been truthful in what he told the former bounty hunter; he had no idea what to say. What the hell do you say to someone that’s had a major bomb drop on them like this?

“Hey, wondering if you were okay, after that whole learning you’re the dark lord and your woman’s betrayal. Let’s get drunk!” Yeah, that probably wouldn’t go over so well.

“Jayden…”

“That’s not my name.” the young man spat, still cradling the bottle. “That’s not my real name. My name is Revan and up to now, my whole life has been a lie.” The two were silent, each mulling this information.

“That damn council.” Carth said, harshly. “They knew as soon as you walked in those doors and they didn’t say a damn word. That’s…that’s just fragged up right there.”

Jayden chucked. He twisted off the cap to his bottle and raised it in the air. “To all of life,” he toasted. “And how incredibly fragged up it is.”

Carth smiled, repeating the man’s gesture and clinked the raised bottle with his own.

The Ebon Hawk was making a slow trip to the planet of Manaan, but had managed to evade their capturers for the moment. It would only take another three hours to reach Ahto City and then the hunt for the Star Maps would continue.

As long as the man in charge of this mission was able to function.

Jolee had found the two nearly three hours after he had assumed piloting the ship. He had let Mission sleep peacefully and once assured they wouldn’t be attacked at any time, he had left the cockpit to check on everyone.

He ran into Zaalbar as he was going down the hall, the wookiee saying he would take over piloting duties if the old man wished. Jolee nodded his consent, adding that the young Twi’lek was sleeping in the co-pilot chair.

The Hawk was quiet, for the first time in a long time, it seemed. Juhani was sleeping within the starboard dorms; Canderous and HK having an impromptu training session within the garage; T3 whirling about in the engine compartment. Jolee continued his tour, his mind briefly wandering towards Bastila.

While he knew her to be strong willed and powerful in the Force, he knew that the dark side would be hard for her to ignore, especially depending on the reaction Revan may have given her regarding his former life. If it was positive, her guilt may still be a trigger to Malak; if the reaction was negative…well…

Jolee wasn’t a fool, nor was he blind. He knew Revan was interested in her and he could see that the young lady may have designs on him as well. Bah! Blasted Jedi code; Bastila wore like it a robe around her, preventing anyone from getting close, especially this Jayden Korr.

If two people were more in love with each other…well…and in thinking that, he thought of his wife. He hadn’t told Revan all the story and he wasn’t sure he would either, he just…he just hated seeing people throw away something so right for the ideals of a few old men sitting in chairs.

And for that, the old man was worried. Had been worried since Carth and Jayden had shown up with no Jedi princess beside them. He had never seen so much confusion, so much…doubt in someone so young. And to see the level of sadness in the man’s eyes, especially after what Carth had said.

It seemed to irk the pilot that the crew stood behind this young man; this man who had been Darth Revan only two years ago. And while he understood Carth’s reasoning – after all, he too had lost a wife to the Sith – the man the Jedi had ‘reprogrammed’ had shown he was in no way the same man he had been.

This Jayden Korr had shown a good deal of restraint when it came to the destruction his heart had known while head of the Sith.

Jolee just hoped he could overcome what to be in their ongoing mission.

He had continued his nightly/mid morning check on everyone, stopping at the closed port dorm door. Sighing, he used the Force to unlock it and wasn’t quite surprised to see what was on the other side. Carth sat on the floor, his head thrown back against the bunk, apparently in a deep sleep. Revan was slumped over next to him, mouth open, and drooling.

Stepping in to the room, the elder Jedi noticed the two empty bottles and a small plastic bag. Now Jolee Bindo wasn’t dumb. Not by any means, so it wasn’t like he didn’t know what kind of substance had previously been in that bag. Though he was slightly amused that the respected Republic Fleet commander had actually engaged in the smoking of said substance…

He kicked Carth’s outstretched foot, immediately alerting the man that there was someone in the room. He awoke with a start, a glazed look in his eye as he started up at the intruder. He squinted, before opening his eyes once again.

“You look like Jayden.” he laughed, before quieting down and looking at his still sleeping friend. “Shh!” he whispered, or rather tried to whisper. “He doesn’t like being called that anymore.” He looked at his friend, before yelling, “Jayden!”.

The young man too woke with a start and realizing he was on the floor didn’t help matters any. He too looked dazed and confused before his eyes settled on Jolee. He cocked his head the best he could while lying on the floor.

“You look like this guy I know.” he slurred. “Oh wait. That guy is me!” He laughed, which caused Carth to laugh before the pilot looked up at the old man again.

“Hey,” he exclaimed. “You look like Jayden.”

“So you’ve told me.” Jolee replied, trying to hide a smirk. “What exactly have you two boys gotten up to in here?”

The pilot looked at the smuggler turned Jedi, who in turn looked back at his friend. They then looked up at Jolee and, “Nothing.”

“Oh really?” the elder huffed, picking up one of the empty bottles. He gave it a sniff. “Hmmm, Mandalorian brand. Good stuff.”

“Should be,” said a voice from the door. “Those were part of my stash.”

Canderous walked in the room and stood over the two men on the floor. “What do we have here?”

“Two very drunk and – if I may speculate – very stoned young men.” Jolee answered, handing the former bounty hunter the small bag.

The Mandalorian out right laughed. “And where exactly did you two get a space bag from?”

“From under the bunk,” Carth replied.

Canderous chuckled. “Good thing the two of you found it,” he said. “I don’t think we would’ve heard the end of it if Bastila had found a bag of spice aboard.”

At hearing her name, Revan groaned loudly before falling over on his side. “We’re not supposed to talk about her.” Carth tried to whisper. “He’s in love with her.”

“I am not,” came the weak protest.

“You said you were.”

“That was the alcohol talking.” Revan slurred. “I also said I thought Juhani was sexy. She’s fuzzy.”

“Yeah, but you said you liked Bastila’s curves.” Carth pointed out.

“I said I thought she had a great ass.”

The former bounty hunter smirked. “On that we agree.” After saying that, he felt a slight push and looked down. Revan was now sitting up slightly and his hand, although outstretched in front of him, kept weaving back and forth.

“You shouldn’t make him mad.” Carth said.

“No one talks about Bastila’s ass except me, Canderous.” the young Jedi growled. Had he not been in an alcohol and spice induced stupor, that statement – and his use of a Force push – would’ve been more powerful and deadly.

The young man groaned again, this time his head hanging down. “I miss her.” he whispered. “Why’d she have to be all…Jedi like?”

Carth shrugged, reaching for the discarded bottle still on the floor. He tried drinking from it, but saw there was nothing left. “Oh.” he sighed. “No more.” Looking up, he saw Canderous and smiled. Then his gaze went back to Jolee. “Hey,” he said. “You look like Jayden.”

“All right, that’s it,” he said, rolling his eyes. “You two have had enough. You’re cut off.” The two men groaned in protest, but Jolee wouldn’t hear of it. “Now, I know things are tough, but you have to suck it up, especially you, Revan.”

“Don’t call me that.”

“That’s your name, isn’t it?” Jolee huffed. “Now, we’re only a few hours from Manaan, and I need you to be at your best. So come on. Into bed, both of you.”

The two again protested, weakly this time, and made the effort to crawl into two separate bunks. “The two of get some sleep.” the elder replied. “It won’t be much, but I suspect you can use the Force to straighten up a bit, sonny.”

He patted Revan on his bald head, not surprised at the fact the young man was already asleep before his head hit the pillow. Canderous was standing over Carth, who also passed out as soon as he was on something soft.

“I’d never expect this from you, Republic,” he whispered. “You’re just a surprise at every turn.”

“Come on, Canderous.” Jolee said, tapping him on the shoulder. “Let’s leave these two to their beauty sleep.”

Revan felt absolutely horrible when he awoke a few hours later. He was still tired and his stomach felt queasy. He made his way slowly into the communications room where they kept their caffa dispenser. He was greeted by a cheerful Mission and a concerned Juhani, both who mentioned he looked horrible.

When Canderous walked in, he gave the young man a resounding slap on the back, with enough force to nearly knock the young man down. But it was what the pat did to his stomach.

It lurched and he could feel the bile coming up.

He was able to calm down slightly, and he looked up to see the former bounty hunter smiling at him. “Rough night, Junior?” he asked. Revan rolled his eyes. Truth be told, he wasn’t really sure if it was a rough night.

He remembered what happened yesterday, sure, but from the time he brought that bottle of whiskey to his lips to when he awoke…the stuff in between sort of disappeared. All he knew was that Bastila was gone and Malak was doing who knew what to her. And that made him just sick.

Oh Force, he was going to be sick.

Something in his thoughts must’ve triggered his stomach, because he was backing up before breaking into a run for the toilet, passing a slightly green Carth on his way. “I don’t feel so good.” the pilot announced as he walked in.

“Don’t worry, Kid,” Canderous replied, giving her a wink. “They didn’t eat anything, which is way this is hurting you more than it should, Republic. You should always have a meal before getting toasted. And if I miss my guess, I think you and Revan are still mighty toasted.”

Canderous laughed, while Juhani threw the pilot a look of disappointment. “Spare me, Juhani.” he said, seeing her look from his cup. “I’m really not in the mood for a lecture. And if Revan wants one, he’ll ask…” he stopped himself before he said her name.

“He’ll ask for one.” he settled. Revan chose that moment to return, his stomach empty from everything he had ever eaten in his life. He was still slightly green, but he felt a little better, but not by much.

“Think you can handle this today, Junior?” Canderous asked, in some actual concern.

The young man nodded. “We have to.” he whispered. “For Bastila’s sake, we have to.”

The Mandalorian nodded, briskly. “Jolee and I are going with you, just so you know.” he stated. “Carth needs a bit of a lie in, so I’m entrusting the Hawk to you, Mission. Any signs of trouble, you get this bird in the air, got it?”

“Yeah, Canderous,” she said. She didn’t have the heart to argue with him. “I got it.”

They all shuffled out, leaving Revan with his thoughts. Carth gave his shoulder a squeeze before taking his caffa back to the port dorms. The young man sat down at the small table they had erected for morning briefs and caffa.

His nausea was still present, but was tempered – or maybe prolonged – by the task that was before him. He needed to find that other map before something horrible happened.

And though he tried to deny it, he couldn’t stop telling himself he needed to save her. He loved her, despite everything she had done, he had fallen in love with her. And she knew he loved her; he had told her right before she kissed him.

Force, how he missed her. And how he was lost without her. Shaking his head, he stood and went to grab his own cuppa. He couldn’t let this effect anything. He would get that last Star Map and they would find the Star Forge and he would rescue Bastila.

And then he would find his former apprentice. He would make sure no one but his crew would make it off whatever the Forge was alive. And he’d make damn sure Bastila was on the Hawk before he’d teach his former student a lesson he’d never forget.

REVENGE OF THE SITH

Visions

Visions are a tricky thing.

For those highly skilled in the Force, a vision is a blessing. And a horrible curse. There had been many visions from the Jedi Masters; most were relatively innocent – something about a student or a friend – but some were absolutely and downright terrifying.

Vandar Tokare was of a mysterious alien race who easily took to learning the ways of the Force. The small-statured alien species had at least one member on the Jedi Council from the very beginnings of the Jedi Order and as it was with those before him, Vandar had a great command of the Force and was respected by all those who knew him. And like those masters before him, the small alien was prone to have visions from time to time.

It was a cool night when he first had the horrible vision that would change the course of Jedi history. He saw a great battle in which many soldiers and civilians were slain brutally; his vision was clouded in the color of blood red as he watched these people be slaughtered and then, darkness.

Nothing but the dark of space. Those planets that hovered in his mind’s eye exploded, one by one by one, leaving tattered pieces of their surface, of their people, scattered in the night sky.

Then he saw the face of evil; or rather, he saw the outline of evil. The face was smeared, fuzzy, but what he could make out was the level of malice that rose from the individual’s body. The images were enough to scare anyone, but the feeling he got, the overwhelming sense of hate and dark overpowered him and he struggled to awaken.

He would go on to have these same visions nightly for another two days before he approached the other members of the Council about them. At the time, the race known as the Mandalorians had made skirmishes on Outer Rim planets, but they were slowly but surely making their way into Republic space.

The Council discussed at length what should be done and they all agreed that patience was the key here. Vandar’s vision was a dark one and the Mandalorians’ conquests didn’t seem to match what he had seen. So they waited.

And made the first of many mistakes.

Vandar wasn’t the only one who had visions within the Jedi Order. Another Jedi Master – Kreia Sovin – also had the gift of sight. And she too had seen the future and like Vandar, it unnerved her.

She too saw a great battle, one that would rival the battles Exar Kun brought to the Order and to the Republic. She saw the deaths of her students – two of her prize students – one falling in battle against a vicious opponent and the other fall at the hands of his apprentice and friend.

Most importantly, she saw her role in a battle to come, one that she would help to start.

The last of these to have visions was a talented Jedi Master named Revan. It was only after his fall to the dark side and subsequent rise to the prodigal knight that this young man too began having visions. Few were happy in their scenes; he had a recurring one with his wife and children.

But most – all but the one of his future – were horrible. He saw the pain and suffering he had inflicted on people when he was the Dark Lord; the things he had done to his former friends, what he had turned them into.

He had several of a young Republic pilot who had the Force within him and Revan had used this knowledge to turn the young man into an assassin; he had a few where he had met with an admiral of the Republic Fleet – now loyal to him – and his apprentice, a man who had been his best friend at one time.

He saw his lightsaber bear down upon the apprentice, its energy blade cutting from just under his left ear and across to cut the tip of his right. The end result left the apprentice’s jaw lying on the ground, the apprentice himself screaming in pain and horror.

He had two about a tall, white haired man who had confronted him on an Outer Rim planet. The two had fought, but Revan had won, his lightsaber plunging into the man’s heart. The scene wasn’t too terrible, but he always woke up with the feeling of deep sadness; as though he knew the man and had respected him.

When Revan had left Republic space for a second time, his visions became less about his past and more of his future. He still had the dream of his future family, the only thing now that linked him to his beloved Bastila.

But he also continued to have horrible visions of the future. There was one where he fought within a room that had timed force fields. He could see a dark Jedi before him and his heart would always clinch in hatred and pain when he would look at him.

When the fields dropped, he would charge at the dark Jedi, striking and stabbing every chance he got. Just as he drove his saber into the man’s gut, the face would change and morph into people he knew.

He saw his best friend – the pilot from his ship, the blue Twi’lek who was like a sister to him… then it would morph into a man he hadn’t seen in nearly ten years. He was young, with a shaved head that once held short red locks, and he had a bit of stubble on his chin.

“Revan?” he would gurgle. “Help… help me…”

The more times the former master had these visions, the longer they would stay on the young man. The young man would look pained and shocked before he would morph back into the dark Jedi again and Revan would wake, always disoriented, always confused, always fearful that he had delved too far into himself and his former life was slowly taking over.

He would have a few more visions – visions of death, whether it was his or his friends; visions of what could come. His mind, though broken by the betrayal of his former friend and apprentice, still clung to the one piece of the puzzle that was paramount for the galaxy.

Long ago, his mind discovered a place or a planet or… something, and that something had helped him down the dark path.

As the young knight gathered his belongings to head back into Republic space, he now carried the knowledge of what he had learned while researching the Mandalorians and what he had witnessed within the temple on Yavin 4.

Something awaited the Republic and they were slowly gathering more troops and that alone put worry and fear into him. But more than that, was the sense that there was still a piece missing.

His mind tried to give clues, tried to communicate that there was a much deeper meaning to everything – to the Mandalorian War, to his fall, to his current adventure, to his friend’s own dark path, to the battle and war that loomed ahead of him.

Even as he entered Republic space for the first time in five years, the former Jedi known as Revan was truly fearful. Though some things were known, many were not.

And if the visions of the past and the future merged here, it painted a very grim picture indeed.

REVENGE OF THE SITH

Part VII – Betrayal

If Bastila was expecting a surprise attack, she was unprepared when one never came.

She had followed the younger woman through a corridor before ending up in another chamber, this one slightly smaller than the front entrance hall. The room was empty, save for the woman she had followed. ‘You are highly mistaken if you think luring me away will make me any less of an opponent to you,’ the Jedi replied, haughtily.

‘On the contrary,’ the woman said, once again igniting her lightsaber. ‘I only wanted to fight in a less confining condition.’

Bastila looked around the room. ‘Bit small, don’t you think?’

‘Though without the presence of others and certainly more room without droids littering the floor.’

The women came together in a clash, red striking yellow. Their fight was more of a practice, a friendly battle than anything that seemed to be tense. And Bastila Shan picked up on that right away. ‘Your master has taught you well,’ she complimented. ‘It’s very hard to wield a double staff, as you know.’

‘Ellis…’ the woman stopped herself, shaking her head slightly. ‘Lord Trayun didn’t teach me how to wield a double-handed staff. That pleasure went to my former mistress and my sisters.’

‘Then they are to be commended.’

The two again went at each other, Bastila clearly on the offensive, while the mysterious woman blocked her attempts at getting an upper hand. ‘The Force is strong within you,’ the Jedi said. ‘I can feel the good that is in your heart. Surely you know what will happen if your master continues on this path.’

The woman stood for a moment, looking at Bastila with such an unreadable expression, but which Bastila could feel was a quiet calm of sorts. ‘I am aware of what the consequences could be,’ she whispered. ‘But you must understand what this about. Do you still think the Jedi were correct? Even with your feelings for Revan known?’

‘This is much more than the Sith vs the Jedi,’ Bastila spat. ‘If you haven’t noticed, there are no more Jedi left.’

‘I’m well aware,’ the woman replied. ‘I can not influence the direction this fight leads us.’

‘I think you can and are unwilling.’

‘Believe me, Ms. Shan,’ the woman said. ‘I am quite willing to do whatever I can to keep Ellis from his death.’

‘Even if it means falling to the dark side?’ asked Bastila.

‘You, above anyone else, should know the answer to that.’

Before Bastila could respond, Revan came running from the direction behind them. He stopped when we saw the white haired woman, his mouth hanging open at the sight of her. ‘We meet again, Revan,’ she said, a small smile on her lips.

‘So we do,’ he whispered. ‘Where is he?’

She shook her head. ‘I can not let you harm him.’

‘Even when he’s doing something stupid?’

‘As opposed to going off for a few months hunting down Sith relics?’ the woman countered. ‘Yes, I guess this would seem pretty small in comparison.’

‘This is different…’

‘This is no different from when you tried conquering the galaxy,’ the young woman spat. ‘The goals are the same; only the means are different. Then again…perhaps they’re not.’

‘What do you mean?’ Bastila asked, looking between the two of them.

Just then, all three felt a shift in the Force, the feel of one who was on the least leg of their life. ‘Jolee!’ two of them exclaimed, looking through the doors they had entered, trying to figure which direction their colleague could be.

‘Try the east,’ the woman whispered, causing both to look at her in surprise. ‘I can’t assure that’s where your friend is, but it’s a start.’ With that, she turned and rushed down the corridor behind her.

‘Do we trust her?’ Bastila whispered, watching the retreating figure.

‘We have no choice, do we?’ Revan responded. He looked at the east corridor and began to move toward it. ‘Was this where you last saw him?’

Bastila shook her head, following him through the hall. ‘He was in the opposite direction, actually,’ she replied. ‘Do you think the hallways loop around?’

‘Maybe,’ Revan mumbled. ‘Possibly. I’m not too sure.’

The corridor they went down indeed looped to the left and came into a small weapons chamber. Though Revan knew timing was of the essence, something was telling him to stop; to look at the supplies he could have.

The knight slowed down, being drawn to a footlocker nearby. ‘Revan!’ Bastila admonished. ‘We don’t have time!’ The young woman herself was finding it difficult to resist some of the urges she seemed to be encountering within this place.

Revan shook himself out of it, cursing his wandering emotions and thoughts, continuing on his way through the room to a shorter corridor. After passing through, he and Bastila were met with a hallway that held various energy doors, shields that blocked the passageway the two Jedi now faced.

They could see at least four, all pink in color and all pulsing with energy. Further down, they could see Jolee pass in front of them, before moving out of the entrance. Revan instantly tried bringing down the shield with no luck. ‘They must be timed,’ he muttered, looking around for a console of any sort.

‘Should I use my Battle Mediation, you think?’ asked Bastila, straining to see who Jolee’s opponent was.

‘I suggest you save it,’ came his reply. ‘We may need it. Who knows what else is in this building before we can get out of here?’ As Revan predicted, the shields shimmered before disappearing completely, enabling the former Jedi master to sprint through the first two doors before they reemerged again, trapping him in the center, with Bastila one door behind him.

What are you doing?

I’m going to try and see who Jolee is facing. He’s strong in the Force and I sense others are here as well.

Revan bounced slightly on his heels, waiting for the next door to open. When it did, he went through, but the last door didn’t shimmer like the rest. That left him with a front row seat of the fight between Jolee and another man dressed in a set of dark apprentice robes.

I can see their fight.

How is he? Are you sure you don’t want me to use my Battle Meditation?

He seems fine for now…

What the two didn’t know was that Jolee had been injured earlier and the young man that hadn’t let up in his assault. It had been his own damn fault, he reasoned. He had allowed himself to be momentarily distracted by the young apprentice, who was then able to Force push him into a wall.

That had caused Jolee to hit his head and be susceptible to a round of Force lightening before he was able to bring up another Force Immunity. And, truth be told, he wasn’t a young man anymore and he certainly couldn’t move the way this young man was, so he was finding it difficult to even hold his own.

Jolee didn’t think he was that old, but that shot of lightening shock hit nerves that obviously controlled moving parts because his knees felt stiffer and his limbs didn’t feel very limber. He felt his heart rate speed up, whether it was in nervousness or the adrenaline of the battle, he wasn’t sure, but he was growing slightly concerned.

He hadn’t taken this much damage since their time on the Star Forge and even then, it was against droids and some whippersnapper dark Jedi, but it couldn’t compare to this; this seemed to be the toughest fight yet and he wasn’t even including fighting his wife.

Bastila tried her best to settle her mind in order to help Jolee, but even she could feel his fatigue through the Force. It was harder this time, she noted, to go completely still and think nothing but the battle between Jolee and his opponent. It was harder because she could feel Jolee’s fatigue; feel Revan’s eagerness to get in front of these doors; feel the approaching danger…

That sense caused her to open her eyes. She could sense someone approaching and more to the point, there was definitely something sinister about who came towards them. But to her horror and confusion, she couldn’t understand what she was sensing. It didn’t seem to be a person at all and they were doing something odd within the Force — as though they didn’t truly belong there in the first place.

Revan, meanwhile, was too busy watching the fight between Jolee and his unknown assailant to even worry about who was coming towards them. In the back of his mind, he could feel the pull of something, someone telling him something, whispering in his mind, but he ignored it — like he did when things that were unsettling from his past — and focused on concentrating on the ongoing battle-taking place in front of him. The young man was quick, his jabs and pivots were more than a match for Jolee and he feared the worst.

Kelath took his time, toying with the elder black man, trying to find his weakness. The man became slower after he had used a Force push and Force Lightening. He was just waiting for the moment to unleash what he could really do.

He inwardly smiled when he saw Revan waiting to get to him. This would be great. He could feel his master waiting in the wings; waiting for the prey that he, Kelath, would bring to him. That would bring him the power he sought…

The young apprentice let Jolee get the upper hand, letting the elder man push him far back that they stood in front of Revan as they fought. This was it…it was time. Kelath countered a side attack, pushing Jolee’s weapon hand up and away from his body.

He then struck the former counselor with a stasis, one that would be over quickly, but would give Kelath what he needed. He turned to Revan, a sinister smile on his face, before turning back to his prey in front of him. He put his hand out, palm facing the stunned Jolee and used the Force to drain the life of the elder man. Because he was in stasis, there was nothing Jolee could do, except pray it would be over soon.

But that wasn’t enough for Kelath. He wanted Revan to watch as he killed this man, his friend. He would torture him in front of the former dark lord and when the energy door opened, timed to make sure he could take his time in his torture, he would incapacitate Revan and let his master finish him.

The dark apprentice released both the stasis and the Force drain, leaving Jolee within a very small inch of his life. He walked up to the elder man, watching as he began to teeter on his feet, and it looked as though he was going to keep Jolee from falling. Instead, as the former counselor stumbled forward, Kelath stopped his fall with one hand and the hilt of his lightsaber.

He gave Jolee a sadistic grin before powering on the weapon, causing the energy blade to puncture Jolee’s stomach and exit out through various organs and then his back.

Kelath released the man, watching as he hit the ground with a thud.

Revan had seen death in his time, of course. He had killed many people, from Mandalorians to Republic officers to Jedi and he had seen the deaths of many people as well. But never had he felt the sort of rage coursing through him as he watched Jolee be struck down.

He hadn’t forgotten what his anger had felt like — he remembered it enough when facing Malak that last time, but now…now it seemed as though nothing could shake his focus from what he wanted to do.

Revan, please. Be calm…

He barely heard the whisper to calm himself, instead he only felt and he felt rage and anger building within him. His only thoughts were revenge — revenge on this man who had taken away a friend, a confidant; revenge on the true species who were trying to once again reemerge; and revenge on Ellis, the man he had called friend at one point in time; the man who had started this in the first place.

And it came upon him in a rush of feeling, the dark thoughts he had pushed aside, the ones that had been erased from his memory and replaced with a man who probably never existed. It was clear to him, as it had been made clear on Malachor all those years ago. There was a reason he was Revan, dreaded dark lord of the Sith…

And he would show this young whelp why people had feared him.

He was calm when the energy doors opened, his lightsabers at his side, ready for a battle. The young man was speaking to him now – how he had enjoyed killing Jolee, enjoyed watching him die. He was saying something about how he would be rewarded for his cunning, for his prize.

Revan nodded. Oh, he would be rewarded all right.

Oh yes, he would be rewarded.

His first strike was downward with his right and predictably, the young apprentice blocked it with his saber, forgetting that Revan wielded two. Back when he had been a Sith Lord, Revan trained those under him to master the double-bladed weapon, explaining that its mastery would make others tremble. It seemed that Ellis hadn’t remembered that lesson.

Kelath had known Revan was a skilled duelist, but he had never expected this. His movements and swings were fluid and the younger man had difficulty in blocking every shot that came his way. In a different environment, he might have been impressed, but now he was growing increasingly worried.

Where was his master?

Why hadn’t he stepped in yet?

He wasn’t supposed to kill Revan, just stagger him, wound him, hurt him. But the former lord was supposed to be battered, not resilient. Kelath again countered a blow by Revan, but was hit with his own treatment of a Force storm by Revan.

Revan saw nothing but revenge in his wake. He was vaguely aware that Bastila was somewhere behind him, but he could no longer hear her words of calmness. All he could do was feel. And it felt wonderful watching this young apprentice suffer a wrath he never had encountered before.

He enjoyed making this young man suffer, enjoyed the casual swipe that severed his weapon had his wrist. Like so many dark Jedi, he was never taught to heal himself through the Force, only how to take it from someone. He loved the look in the young man’s eyes as his immunity to the Force prevented him from doing to him what he had to Jolee. And he loved the thought to severing every part of this man’s body, piece by piece.

Kelath was truly panicked now. What remained of his hand was now only a stump, his former body part lying away from him, lightsaber clutched within its fingers. He cuddled his stump to his chest, cradling it with his other arm.

He was defensiveness and the look on Revan’s face told him this was only the beginning of his pain. Again, Kelath felt the presence of his master and he smiled faintly at the man before him. He would pay. His master would make him pay. His smile only lasted so long before it faded and was replaced with a look of surprise and then pain. Looking down, he saw the shimmer of what appeared to be a spear that now protruded from his left hand.

Revan watched, just as surprised as the man in front of him. Where had the spear come from? And then Revan was struck by something — this was his dream. This was the dream he had during his trip through the Outer Rim and Unknown Regions.

This was the man who would suddenly turn into Ellis…as the young man fell, Revan saw the reason behind his death. Ellis. Ellis. This didn’t seem like the Ellis he had met earlier, but for once Revan didn’t care. All he wanted was to hurt.

How dare he take this death away from him? How dare he rid Revan of his rightful revenge and avengement of Jolee? How dare he think he was the better Sith Lord?

Then the walls collapsed and it seemed like nothing would stop the anger and the rage Revan now felt. He Force Jumped to the other side of the room, his sabers coming down towards Ellis’ head. The young lord ducked, nearly surprised at the ferocity in which Revan was attacking. The two locked into battle, with Revan taking the offense.

Their styles matched so well, both learning and using what the other gave off. Revan was relentless and only a strong Force wave knocked him back enough for Ellis to turn tail and escape through a dark hallway. Revan quickly got to his feet, prepared to chase Ellis through the whole building, in order to satisfy his own bloodlust, but a frantic scream caught his attention.

Turning swiftly, he saw Bastila kneeling by Jolee, who lay on the floor, unmoving. This sight ebbed some of his anger, as he quickly forgot his pursuit of Ellis in order to rush to Jolee’s aid. He crashed to the floor on the other side of the former counselor and was stricken when he saw the paleness of the man’s dark face.

One look at Bastila told all he needed to know — he was dead and even though she had tried, Bastila couldn’t save him. She looked up at him, tears falling from her eyes and gasped. Revan bowed his head, taking her intake of breath as a way to control her emotions. He too was quite upset.

What Revan didn’t know at the time, was that his wife’s gasp wasn’t that of emotional anguish, but of surprised horror.

Next Part

REVENGE OF THE SITH

Part VII – Betrayal

Carth had never truly been in the Unknown Regions before; hell, he had never really been past the Outer Rim before, and this time, he was really within uncharted space. He had been so surprised when Revan had given the coordinates for a planet he wasn’t sure even existed, but the former pilot knew better than to question Revan and his motives, so he powered up the Hawk and made the jump to lightspeed. When they hit their mark, they were greeted with total darkness and an icy planet before them.

‘Where are we?’ he had whispered, looking up at his friend. Revan had been quiet the entire trip, only just now returning to the cockpit as they got closer. The look on his face could only be one of confusion, but what the former knight could be confused about, Carth didn’t know.

‘Revan?’ Bastila asked, from her co-pilot’s chair.

‘I don’t know,’ came his whisper, in response to Carth’s question. And truly, Revan had no idea where they were or what the planet before them was called. He only knew that he had been here once, that he had seen it once in his mind. ‘T3,’ he said, calling the little droid to him. The little astromech droid beeped at his master, wondering what he could want.

‘It’s time, T3.’ Was all he said.

To Carth, it seemed as though the little droid tried to put up a fight, but Revan shook his head and repeated his earlier statement. Again, the droid protested. ‘Be that as it may,’ Revan replied. ‘It is time.’ T3 seemed to let it go then and made his way out of the cockpit.

‘What was that about?’ asked Carth.

‘It seems Ellis tried to break into the nav-computer,’ came the response.

‘Whatever for?’

‘To see where I had gone.’

Carth and Bastila looked at each other. ‘I want you to review those files, Carth,’ he continued. ‘While we’re on the planet.’

‘What am I looking for?’ the pilot asked, hesitantly.

‘Clues.’

That was as far as he would elaborate, before he walked out of the cockpit, leaving his friends to stare after him. ‘I have a horrible feeling about this, Carth,’ Bastila whispered. ‘I sense that this planet is heavy within the dark side and it will take everything for both Revan and myself to counter it.’

‘What do you think’s going on down there?’ he asked.

‘I haven’t the slightest idea,’ she replied. ‘But I feel as though nothing good will come from this. In fact…I have the feeling nothing will go as planned.’

‘Maybe we shouldn’t be here.’

The young woman shook her head. ‘The Force is directing us for a reason,’ she whispered, standing and heading for the doorway. ‘However the event will end.’

Only moments later, Carth was landing the ship in a remote location that was blocked by a large mountain of ice. From the windows, they could see the planet to be extremely cold, prompting the trio of Revan, Jolee, and Bastila to dress warmer than they normally would.

The winds looked to be calm, directing Revan to wait to leave while the temperatures weren’t harsh. ‘The winds here can cause hypothermia,’ he said, casually. He missed the look passed between Jolee and Bastila.

The trio left the safety and warmth of the Ebon Hawk to step on the surface of this unknown, cold planet. The winds were just as Revan said — harsh, cold, and brutal — and the three moved slowly within the snow that lay thick on the ground.

Revan wasn’t sure where he was leading them, just that something told him to go north and that’s where he headed. They walked in silence, until Jolee had to ask where they were headed. Revan shook his head, muttering, ‘I don’t know,’ before pushing on ahead.

For Bastila, she didn’t know how her husband could endure the swirl of the dark side here. It was almost as if the planet itself was incased in it and it brought about horrible memories from when she had been turned by Malak — the rage and anger she had felt had truly blinded her, almost to the point she had nearly killed the man who would become her husband of the past few weeks.

She smiled inwardly; she knew most women would balk at their journey. She and Revan should be on a traditional honeymoon; instead they were on a planet heavy in the dark side, looking for a former friend of Revan’s who wanted him dead.

‘I see nothing funny about traipsing around in the snow,’ Jolee huffed, seeing her small smile

The young woman smirked. ‘Just thinking, Jolee,’ she replied.

‘About where we’re going, I hope.’

‘I have as much as an idea as you do, old man,’ she retorted. ‘Though you must know that the Force is pointing us in this direction.’

‘Hmph,’ the elder muttered. ‘The Force is many things, though sometimes I do wonder if it does indeed lead us.’

‘You think we’re here for nothing then?’ she asked.

‘Oh, I think we need to be here,’ he admitted. ‘I just have a bad feeling about it.’

Bastila looked ahead of her, seeing Revan further ahead than she would’ve liked. ‘I have the same feeling, Jolee,’ she whispered. ‘I can’t help but feel we’re walking into a trap somehow.’

Before the elder man could respond, they saw Revan standing still in front of them and looking ahead, they could see why. Before them stood something of a castle, wide and grey. The walls were high, leading into two towers on either end. The perimeter seemed to be deserted, but all three Jedi could sense the evil this place held.

‘I know where we are,’ Revan whispered, his eyes scanning the area around them. ‘This is Khar Delba, once a planet of the Sith Empire. This place…this place was said to be Naga Sadow’s fortress, but it wasn’t. It was a decoy; the place Ludo Kressh attacked, while Sadow was hidden in the real fortress on the planet’s moon. He gave a surprise attack, virtually destroying Kressh’s fleet and taking two of his supporters with them.’

‘How do you know all that?’ Bastila asked in awe and a bit of trepidation.

Jolee smirked. ‘Revan was always looking for something to research,’ he chuckled. ‘I heard you were up for the job of Jedi historian, if not for the war.’

Revan shook his head. ‘Not that,’ he replied. ‘I’ve been here.’ He again looked around. ‘There’s a side entrance on the right, just over the hill,’ he continued. ‘There’re war and assault droids at the front and…’ The former dark lord shook his head, as if trying to remember something. ‘There’s something else, but…I can’t…’

‘You’ve done enough already, son,’ Jolee replied, giving the younger man a fatherly pat on the shoulder. ‘We’re wasting too much time out here. I say we go for broke and get inside this place.’

The couple nodded at the suggestion and the three headed off in a run towards the side door. It was hard to maneuver with the snow, but when they finally reached the door, Bastila was dismayed to see that it had a control lock on it. Revan shook his head.

‘You got me, remember?’ he quipped, before slicing into the computer pad and opening the door. The inside, though a sharp contrast from the harsh winds of outside, was just as intimidating as the outside of the castle. Revan surmised the place hadn’t been use since his last time here, though he couldn’t be sure on when he had been here at all.

Though it had been some time — centuries supposedly or years from the last time Revan had been there — the corridor they stood seemed to be immaculate and recently cleaned. The light was dim from where they stood, but further down they could see the light considerably brightened. The trio took cautious steps, the sound of their footsteps oddly muted on the cold floor.

They had just reached the junction between the darkened area and the lighted one when a figure appeared before them, standing at what seemed to an entrance into a large room. He was of average height, with a shave head that seemed to previous hold red locks; he was dressed in the black robes of a dark knight, and he actually winked at them before turning away.

Bastila didn’t have time to think how it was odd it was that this Sith lord — and she was positive it was this Darth Trayun that stood before them — was bold enough to meet them, when she heard a shout and was suddenly watching as Revan took off after the man.

She and Jolee moved as one, trying to follow the former knight, but when they entered the room, he and his chase were nowhere in sight.

‘Damn fool kid,’ Jolee muttered, as the two of them looked around. They entered something of a large chamber, by the looks of it, with three different accesses to other parts of the castle.

‘Where do you think he went?’ Bastila asked, looking at all three pathways and trying her best to find Revan, but the dark side masked his presence and it seemed there were other Force users in the building as well.

Jolee was shaking his head, his eyes glued to the entrance to their left. ‘I don’t know,’ he grumbled. ‘But I don’t like it and I have a bad feeling we’re about to have company.’

Sure enough, from the entrance Jolee watched, they could hear the sounds of several droids approaching, the first two being Mark IV assault droids, followed by what seemed to be an army of military droids.

‘Oh bloody hell,’ came the curse, surprisingly from Bastila herself.

‘Looks like we have our work cut out for us, hmm?’ Jolee quipped, preparing his lightsaber

Revan didn’t know what he would do once he got a hold of his former friend, but as he chased him down one corridor and then another, the thought of some sort of vengeance for making him run after the guy was in tall order. As it was, the former Jedi paid no attention to where his former ally was leading him, so when he ended up in a third corridor, only the way he came and the entrance to a nearby room were his only choices.

Looking this way and that, Revan wasn’t certain where Ellis — or himself for that matter — had ended up and it looked like the only way to find out was to move forward. He eyed the forward room with some trepidation, his hands hovering over his sides where he kept his lightsabers, and he took the tentative steps towards the opening.

Something in his senses told him to duck, which he did, falling and sliding forward across the floor on his knees as the swing of a double-bladed, red saber flew over his head. While still in motion, and with a flick of his thumbs, Revan countered a blow coming at his back with his left handed weapon.

He ducked by rolling to the right and immediately got on his feet, weapons ready to face his opponent. He saw the confident swagger in the younger man, a smirk on his face as he twirled his lit lightsaber like a baton. ‘I thought you were much smarter than this, Ellis,’ Revan replied. ‘I didn’t think you would stoop so low.’

‘You’re one to speak, Revan,’ the dark lord retorted. ‘So high and mighty you thought you were, but look how far you’ve fallen. Even after you taught us that the Jedi thought us as pawns, you still worked for them as their puppet. The great Revan being led around by weak minded fools!’

Darth Trayun came at him, feigning a swipe at his left side, just to turn his saber upwards, nearly severing Revan’s head had the former Jedi not moved away and countered. The two battled, the older man surprised with his former friend’s movements and directions. It seemed like Ellis’ movements, but they were slightly diminished, as though the Sith Lord lost some of his weapons training.

But some moves and counters were the same — he still used the Shien form that Revan and Malak had taught him, as well as that of Jar’kai; but there was another style too; he seemed to be fighting in the style of Makashi, a very elegant form for saber to saber fighting and Revan couldn’t remember ever teaching him the second form.

Revan could also see the style of Echani within their dance and that brought about a pain he didn’t wish to acknowledge at the moment. The thought made him think of Arren Kae, the woman who had been his master and a mother figure; whose husband had taught his troops about his people and then led them against the Mandalorian onslaught.

He had a flash to several months earlier when he had encountered Ellis for the first time in nearly ten years — how the young lord had addressed one of his apprentices as the daughter of Arren and Yusanis. Certainly, with her heritage, she would be willing to teach her master the art known as Echani fighting.

The Dark Lord was on the offensive, pushing Revan backwards towards the wall, trying to block him. The former knight dodged, Darth Trayun’s blade missing his head and scrapping the wall behind them.

‘Ellis!’ Revan screamed. ‘Don’t do this. You have no idea what these…beings are capable of.’

‘There you go again,’ the Sith Lord said, walking towards his opponent. ‘Always doubting my ability. My masters have taught me more than you and Malak combined. And when they reclaim the galaxy, I will sit on a throne worthy of my talents. While you, dear Revan, will be rotting in this room.’

They danced around each other before their blades met again, causing some energy sparks with the intensity. They parried and swung and blocked, neither of them getting the upper hand. ‘When the Sith take the galaxy,’ Ellis taunted. ‘Your friends will be the first to fall. And then, we will make adequate use of your Jedi whore.’

Revan could feel his anger build and he came at the Sith Lord with renewed energy, turning his defense to offence and pushing the young lord back. Darth Trayun tried to counter, but in the end, could only block Revan’s downward swing, but didn’t block the left swing that came at his side, seemingly cutting him in half.

However, as Revan’s blade hit the side, the figure of Darth Trayun ceased to exist. He simply disappeared.

Revan stood and looked around him, trying to discern what had happened to his former friend. Seeing that the young lord was nowhere in the vicinity, the former Jedi moved out of the room slowly, hoping to either find his foe or his friends.

There seemed to be a mass number of droids that continued to flow through the doorway, even though Jolee and Bastila were doing their hardest to keep them at bay. They were using a heavy amount of Force powers, exclusive to disabling or destroying droids.

Though they used their lightsabers as well, it was known that sabers were not much when compared to the complex shielding and metal of droids and it seemed as these droids were of a high caliber, resistant to lightsabers.

Just as suddenly as the attack began, it stopped when the droids that were attacking them began to wind down and stop. The former Jedi stood in the center, surrounded either by debris or by droids that were no longer moving.

‘Do you get the sense that was deliberate?’ Bastila asked, looking around their area.

‘It’s mighty hard to tell, Lass,’ Jolee murmured. ‘The dark shields everything and in this place, no truer sentiment than that describes what we’re experiencing. Evil truly does shroud this place like a baby’s blanket.’

‘I fear we are not alone.’

No sooner had Bastila said it, when they both heard the familiar hiss of lightsabers being turned on. To Bastila’s right stood a woman of average height and a build similar to the young woman herself. She was white haired with piercing blue eyes and she wore robes of grey and black.

Her saber staff glowed in the shadows of where she stood, causing her to be bathed in partial red light. To Jolee’s left, stood a man considerably taller than the woman, with no hair to speak of and a malicious glint in his eye. His one red lightsaber twirled lightly in his hand.

‘I’ll take him,’ Jolee spoke. ‘You take care of the other one and go find Revan. Force knows what kind of trouble he’s gotten himself into.’

Bastila was torn; she didn’t want to leave Jolee alone, but on the other hand, she couldn’t allow this person to get away either. Looking at him, she nodded once, saying ‘May the Force be with you.’ before turning and walking towards the woman who seemed to be beckoning her to her.

‘The Force will do nothing to save you, old man,’ the younger spouted, sending a blast of Force lightening his way, only to watch it be blocked by the former counselor.

‘Kids these days,’ he muttered, igniting his lightsaber. ‘No respect what so ever.’ The two split and went after their perspective marks.

REVENGE OF THE SITH

Part VII – Betrayal

Revan wasn’t in a talkative mood, nor was he in a happy mood. He had just left the moon of Dxun, dropping off Mission, Dustil, and Lynsel at the meeting point for the Mandalorian camp. Canderous had told them they had seen a few scattered Sith officers just roaming the jungle — most of those encountering the fierce beasts within — and had pretty much taken care of the others that managed to avoid such dangers.

But the clan leader had said they had been attacked — one that was reminiscent of when the exile had been on the moon with them — and after defeating those soldiers, things seemed to be quiet.

Until Visas said something was amiss.

Revan didn’t bother to ask why the former Sith was on Dxun instead of her planet of Katarr, but he noted Bastila filed that little tidbit away. When asked to expand on that statement, the clan leader only said Visas thought that Dxun was once again being shrouded in dark energy and she stated it was coming from the temple that held Freedon Nadd’s tomb.

While Revan would’ve liked to have taken the whole crew, they still had the matter of finding Ellis. The former Jedi didn’t know how he had done it or what planet they were exactly heading to…he had just come up with the coordinates in his head and told them to Carth, who looked at Revan in confused awe.

He couldn’t tell the pilot where they were headed, but he just had a feeling that it was some how important. Jolee had pulled him to the side later, also wanting to know how he had just ‘instinctively’ known where to go and how to get there.

Revan shrugged. ‘I don’t know,’ he said. ‘I mean I just…I was thinking about where Ellis might be and all of sudden, I had a route in my head.’

‘Hmm…’ the elder man replied. ‘I’ve heard of this, where some Jedi could actually plot a hyperspace route in their heads, without the help of a nav-computer.’ The elder Jedi nodded his head, slowly.

‘Do you think this is an ability I’ve had before?’ Revan asked, quietly.

‘Hard to say, isn’t it?’ Jolee asked. ‘With most of your memory gone, one can’t say if this was something that was always an ability for you or if you’ve just now begun to show signs of it.’

After that conversation, Revan decided to focus on the upcoming confrontation with Ellis and he knew there would be a confrontation. He hadn’t seen the young Sith Lord since their meeting on Yavin IV, which wasn’t a true battle between them. Revan was in fact, a little worried about meeting his former friend.

After their last battle on the Hawk, Revan had hoped Ellis would turn away from the dark side or at least be smart enough not to get involved with the true species of Sith. On top of that, Revan still suspected Ellis was being helped in a way that wouldn’t bold well for him, mainly the fact that he thought Ellis was possessed. He didn’t know why he thought that, but there was something within himself that said he had once been that way as well.

Had he been possessed by a spirit of the True Sith? He didn’t know and he couldn’t remember. He couldn’t imagine what kinds of…gifts the True Sith could’ve bestowed onto Ellis, but he knew, it wasn’t good.

And on top of that, they were trying to raise Freedon Nadd’s spirit and the way Canderous had worded it, apparently this wasn’t the first time. Again, Revan thought he may have rushed things with coming after the Sith. He had known there was something beyond the Unknown Regions that spelled doom for the Republic, but he had never imagined this.

Not in his wildest dreams.

Dustil knew from his Jedi history, as well as his time on both Dxun and Onderon, that Freedon Nadd’s tomb sat nestled in the jungles on Dxun. He remembered Canderous telling him not to wonder far within the jungle, especially to the tomb itself, as it was forbidden.

The clan leader had told him that the exile, with their help of course, and his crew had driven the Sith out and off the moon and though things should’ve been fine, had been fine up until this point, the Mandalorians still felt the tomb and its dark power.

And soon enough, as soon as he stepped off the ramp onto the meeting place, he could feel something on the moon he hadn’t truly felt before. At least, not since his time on Onderon. Their guide led them into the camp and they were immediately met by Mandalore and Visas Marr.

Dustil made introductions to the former Sith, knowing her as an acquaintance of Canderous’ as well as a gifted welder of the Force. The two again explained the situation to the trio, stating that this time they would have to do something to ensure that this didn’t happen again.

Mandalore took charge instantly, telling his commanders to accompany Visas, Dustil, and Lynsel to the jungle tomb. Mission was a little put out for being made to stay behind, but Dustil spoke softly to her, telling her the dangers may be more than even he could handle and with the Sith, it might do well to have Jedi fighting against them.

It didn’t take away her annoyance, but it did ease her somewhat — or maybe it was the kiss he dropped on her forehead, as he told her he’d take out as many Sith as he could in her name. Visas said goodbye to Mandalore, her voice low and soft, as though she didn’t want her words overheard.

Dustil wasn’t blind and was quite aware that something was happening between the former Sith and the clan leader, but he excused himself, along with Lynsel as they went outside to wait for their group.

The second in command, Kelbourn, was to accompany and lead them to the tomb. The armored Mandalorian was known throughout the camp as one of the greatest and he had only been bested once — by the Jedi exile — and he had helped to discover and eliminate the searching of Col. Tobin’s troops from Onderon. He was doing this out of respect to Xarga, who had been wounded while fending off some of the Sith troops they had recently battled.

They headed off, reaching a jungle corridor that the remains of what looked to be mines and a motion sensor. ‘You don’t have to worry about those,’ Kelbourn replied. ‘Xarga told me the exile’s companions took care of that the last time they were here. In fact, I doubt we’ll have any problems getting to the tomb itself.’

‘Isn’t that a bit dangerous?’ Lynsel asked. ‘I mean, militarily speaking, of course. I would think if I’m about to raise the dead spirit of an evil Sith lord, I’d make sure I wasn’t interrupted. Not putting up any kind of defenses…’

‘That’s what I wonder, too,’ Visas responded. ‘It’s not like the Sith to just invite one into their private party.’

‘Unless we’re not dealing with the normal Sith.’ Dustil commented, walking ahead to view out of the corridor. ‘I can see the temple from here. And you won’t believe this…there’s nothing stopping us.’

‘You’re kidding, right?’ Lynsel asked, walking over to him. Peering out, she too saw the water waves to their left and the mixture of brown and green grass ahead of them. Sure enough, the outline of a building stood in the foreground and it didn’t seem as though they’d be meeting any resistance. ‘Something’s not right,’ she muttered. ‘There really should be something here.’

‘I agree,’ Visas said. ‘There is something waiting for us. And they appear to be very large.’

‘Do I even want to know how you know that?’ Lynsel asked, warily.

‘Force sight,’ Dustil replied, unhooking his lightsaber and taking a few steps out of the corridors. ‘Allows her to see things beyond the natural realm of regular sight, like through doors and walls.’

‘You impress me with your knowledge, young Jedi,’ Visas smiled. ‘Kelbourn, do you think your men would enjoy some sport?’

The group walked cautiously towards the tomb, greatly on edge with what seemed to be a very ingenious trap. No sooner had they passed a security terminal when they heard the first cries of an animal. The group seemed to suddenly be swarmed by bomas, but the creatures seemed different than before.

Usually, the creatures were easily taken care of and would succumb to the normal Force power, but even as Dustil and Visas unleashed theirs, the beasts didn’t seem to slow any and it was a much harder fight than it should’ve been.

Afterwards, fifteen of the beasts lay dead, with two members of their Mandalorian group dead next to them. Visas used her healing powers to help those that had been wounded, but it seemed the group wasn’t out of the woods yet. As soon as they had walked away from the carnage, another roar was heard, this time from one of two drexl beasts.

The group split off, a smaller portion each fighting a beast. Dustil and Lynsel fought off one, with Lynsel leading an offensive while Dustil tried to slow the creature down with various dark sided powers. It seemed like hours before both beasts were down, but again, they lost a large chunk of their fighting force.

From a group of about eleven warriors, they were now down to six.

‘There’s no way we can survive like this,’ Dustil panted.

‘We’ll have to,’ Lynsel countered. ‘There’s no way we can turn around and come back. What if we return and there’s more of these things to kill?’

‘The lieutenant is right,’ Visas replied, shaking her head. ‘We must move forward. If the Sith are indeed trying to raise Freedon Nadd, we don’t have the luxury of time to turn back and gather reinforcements.’

‘Agreed,’ Kelbourn said. ‘Forward then.’

The group remained on guard, though nothing seemed to happen once they headed up to the ramp to the entrance of the tomb. ‘The Force is strong through these doors,’ Visas whispered.

‘Our mission should end here,’ Visas continued. ‘Regardless of an outcome.’

With that said, the group entered the tomb.

Again with caution, the group walked a narrow hallway, on guard to defend themselves if necessary. And again, they were met with a large door that easily slid open for them. Another corridor and another door was passed before they found themselves in a large chamber.

It was quiet, but the sounds of doors opening immediately put the group on guard once again. They heard grunts and a low roar from either of them and the sights that greeted them were not good.

To their left, was a large reptilian like creature, that had sharp claws on both hands and on its feet; it had long spikes that rested on its head and two long and pointy front fangs. To the right of them looked to be a man, but he had been horribly transfigured into the creature before them. He was red and stood at least seven feet tall; most importantly, he was mutated. A creature of genetics gone terribly wrong.

‘What the hell…’ Kelbourn whispered, looking at the red figure coming towards them, then glancing over his shoulder at the beast that came from behind.

‘I believe,’ Visas replied, igniting her lightsaber. ‘This was the trouble we were hoping to avoid.’

The battle was even fiercer than what they had faced outside. Neither of these creatures seemed to deter from Force powers and it left the Jedi in the group in a disadvantage. Lynsel, fed up with the evidence that nothing they seemed to be doing was working, quickly pulled Dustil behind her before throwing out a proton grenade at the large scaled beast.

The impact did seem to disorient the creature, allowing Dustil to strike it with his Force Lightening. That only seemed to make the beast madder than it already was. The two quickly ran for it, trying to lure the creature from the fight that was taking place with the red-skinned being.

The two ran towards the right-handed door and then doubled back, running past the creature, who continued to stumble towards the door. Realizing its prey was behind it, the creature turned, but his momentary lapse of judgment was all it took for Lynsel to produce a thermal detonator and toss it at the creature, destroying it and opening the door behind it.

Turning back to the second creature, she and Dustil help defeat it, but their numbers had again dwindled, leaving the four of them. However, Kelbourn was badly wounded and even Visas and Dustil’s healing powers weren’t sustaining him. They gave him two of the med-pacs they had, but suggested perhaps Kelbourn sit out this fight, to which the Mandalorian stubbornly agreed.

The trio went to investigate the right side, walking into a room that seemed to be devoid of anything except an ancient looking terminal. Dustil was the brave one to take a look at it, seeing that it would allow them to access the large double doors that stood at the end of the ramp out front. Activating it, he and the ladies returned to the outer chamber and headed down the ramp to enter the crux of Freedon Nadd’s tomb. When they entered, a ghastly sight greeted them.

Three beings stood in front of a tomb, their skins slightly darker than the large human turned creature had been, and they had small chin tuffs. They smiled at the three new comers, for a figure had arisen from behind them. He was a specter, but he was also very large, though his appearance could’ve been due to his armor, but he was a daunting figure to be sure.

‘Is it true?’ the ghost asked. ‘I have been raised to continue what I was denied?’ He looked around him, seeing the three dark cloaked figures bowing before him. ‘Ah, my followers.’ He grinned. ‘So afraid I was that you would haunt me in my life and here you are, bowing to me in death.’

Looking up, he spotted Visas, Dustil, and Lynsel. ‘Have you brought me something?’ he asked, tilting his head to the side. ‘Ah…Jedi and so strong in the Force are they.’ He chuckled, deeply. ‘Do not be afraid, my children. I ask that you join me for a great cause.’

‘We’ll never join you,’ Dustil stuttered, backing away from the scene as much as he dared.

Again, the specter chuckled. ‘I sense you have touched the dark side, young one,’ he whispered. ‘And your companion as well. Surely, you do not find comfort in the light, when you can have so much within the dark.’

The trio could only stare at the figure as he began laughing, slow at first, and then growing in volume and sound. It was all they could to run out of the chamber back in the previous one.

Kelbourn took one look at them and didn’t ask any questions, instead followed them outside, where Dustil immediately became sick over the side of the temple’s ramp before collapsing to the ground. ‘Do I want to ask what happened?’ the Mandalorian asked, nervously.

‘We have failed,’ Visas spat, doing her best to maintain her composure, but like Dustil, she too was deeply affected by the temple itself and their meeting with those inside. ‘Freedon Nadd has arisen.’